Jack for erecting thin-shelled storage buildings



JACKFOR ERECTING THIN-SHELLED STORAGE BUILDINGS,

Filed July 31, 1968 g- 1 'B. ECKLUND ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fig. 7

w y T E w M wmm m mw AN M Em mm mm V: wm a Aug. 18 1970 ECKLUND ET AL JACK FOR ERECTING" THIN-SHELLED STORAGEBUILDINGS Filed July 31, 1968 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 18 19 70 B F.- ECKLUND- ET AL 3,524,625

JACK FOR EBECTING THIN-SHELLED STORAGE BUlLDfNGS Filed July 31; 1968 s Sheets-Sheet 3 BUR/VE/L 5 ECKLUWD CORL/SS DEAN BUTTS Fig. 4

United States Patent Filed July 31, 1968, Ser. No. 749,139 Int. Cl. B66c 23/6'0 U.S. Cl. 254-143 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel vertically movable jack for erecting thin-shelled storage enclosures such as gram storage bins and the like which are commonly constructed of curved sheets fastened together to form a cylinder, a plurality of said cylinders being attached together consecutively in vertical alignment commencing at the roof to provide the thin-shelled storage building. A plurality of the novel vertically movable jacks are removably yet stably fastened together with elongate pole-like braces within the internal confines of the storage building to be erected, and the roof and consecutively attached upper cylinders of the storage building which are elevated 1ncrementally by the said jacks surround and protect sald jacks from the atmospheric elements while the thin-shelled storage building is being erected.

Thin-shelled storage buildings, such as cylindrical grain storage bins and the like, commonly employ a circular slab or substrate of concrete poured into the earth and having a substantially planar horizontal upper surface, a roof overlying the concrete slab substrate or floor, and a plurality of vertically-aligned thin-shelled metallic cylinders intervening between the roof and the floor. The normal method for erecting such thin-shelled storage buildings is of the so-called incremental-lift technique. Specifically, the roof component is initially positioned immediately above the concrete substrate or other suitable floor, and then the thin-shelled metallic cylinders, commencing at the roof, are consecutively attached one to another in vertical alignment, the plurality of previously attached vertically-aligned cylinders being lifted incrementally by suitable jack means after each cylinder is attached to the wall structure to allow for positioning and attachment of the consecutive cylinder members. Thus, by the so-called incremental-lift technique the aggregation of vertically-aligned cylinders becomes incrementally loftier and the roof component attains an incrementally higher elevation until the desired height of the building is reached, said height depending of course upon the number of vertically-aligned cylindrical wall-segments employed.

Certain of the prior art jack means employed for incremental-lift method for erecting thin-shelled storage buildings are of the external type inasmuch as they are positioned externally or outwardly of the cylinders being incrementally lifted and such jack means are normally necessarily placed upon the earth rather than upon the concrete slab building substrate. Such external type jack means have several inherent disadvantages including their being unprotected by the vertically-aligned cylinders and thus being subjectable to the unstabilizing and damaging forces caused by surface winds and precipitation and including their being of unpredictable stability upon uneven and sometimes muddy terrain.

The stability problems encountered with externa type jack means have encouraged certain prior art workers to develop internal type jack means that are positioned directly upon the relatively stable planar horizontal upper n CC surface of the concrete slab substrate, and that are positioned within the circular confines of the vertically-aligned cylinders whereby the consecutively attached cylinders as they are being incrementally lifted protect the internal jack means from weather elements. However, the internal jack means of the prior art do have numerous d1sadvantages including: unreliable stability under high load conditions as when the number of vertically-aligned segments becomes progressively greater; difficulties in re peatedly raising then lowering the several jack members in harmony with each other and at reasonably rapid vertical movement speeds; and cumbersome means for attaching the several jack members into a multi-jack system which results in difiiculties in dismantling and transporting the jack system from one building site to another and in manipulating the jacks at each building site by operating personnel.

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide an internal type jack means for erecting thinshelled storage buildings by the incremental lift method and that overcomes the several disadvantages of the prior art internal type jack means, and with this objective in View, this invention comprises the novel configuration, combination, and arrangement of elements, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters refer to like parts in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical thin-shelled storage building structure that might be erected with the incremental lift method utilizing a plurality of the jack members of the present invention removably attached together into a jack system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 showing both the storage building being erected and a schematic plan view of a plurality of the jack members of the present invention removably attached together with elongate pole-like braces into an incremental lift jack system.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a representative embodiment of the novel jack members of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a collar component of the jack member of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a representative embodiment of an elongate pole-like brace utilized to removably attach several of the jack members of FIGS. 3 and 4 into a multi-jack system as exemplified in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view of the preferred means for removably and pivotably attaching the elongate braces of FIG. 6 to several of the representative jack members shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The typical thin-shelled storage building of the prior art, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, commonly comprises a suitable substrate such as a concrete slab S poured into the earth, said substrate having a substantially planar horizontal upper surface H, the said substrate upper surface having a shape geometrically similar to and slightly larger than the storage building shell-like wall, herein as circular. A roof R that overlies the substrate S is disposed at the upper extremity of the building, and normally the roof R is of the conical shape shown in FIG. 1. Comprising the upright shell-like walls of the building are a plurality of vertically-aligned thin-shelled metallic cylinders intervening between roof R and substrate S. In FIG. 1 an arbitrarily selected number of ten vertically aligned metallic cylinders are shown bearing reference characters 1-10, the circular upper periphery of uppermost cylinder 1 being attached to the lower circular periphery of roof R, the lower circular periphery of lowermost cylinder 10 being embedded into poured slab substrate S, and the inter- 3 mediate cylinders 2-9 being consecutively attached together commencing downwardly from uppermost cylinder 1.

As indicated in the FIG. 2 sectional plan view taken transversely through representative cylinder 4, the respective cylinders 1-10 are ordinarily and typically of a corrugate configuration about the girth of each cylinder. As also indicated in FIG. 2, each cylinder section, as for example cylinder 4, comprises four quarter or 90 cylinders 4A-4D, to facilitate on-the-site fabrication of each cylindrical section with nuts and bolts passing through the adjacent horizontally perforate quarter-cylinders and the overlapping vertical plates or stifleners V between each adjacent quarter-cylinder. Normally the vertical height for each metallic cylinder 1-10 is consistent, as for example thirty-two inches, and usually a single vertical stiffener plate V is used for a group of two or more cylinders, and usually three vertically aligned cylinders e.g. 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, as shown in FIG. 1.

To erect a thin-walled storage building of the type generically referred to above, several of the upright jacks J of the present invention are employed circumferentially upon slab upper surface H and disposed internally within building Wall e.g. inwardly of lowermost cylinder 10, as indicated in the FIG. 2 schematic view. Each jack I is removably attached together to stabilize the several jacks, herein six in number, with a pair of criss-crossed elongate pole-like braces P to each neighboring jack. Moreover, each jack J is removably attached to an upright mast U at the slab center with a rearwardly extending pole-like brace P.

The several upright jacks I represent the underlying basis of the present invention and they will now be described in detail, reference being had particularly to FIGS. 3-5 of the drawing. In general, each upright jack J comprises two main elements including: an upright housing comprising an upright elongate tubular upright member T having an upright axis A, said tubular member T being uprightly attached to a base portion B and having an upright bore of uniform cross-sectional shape commencing downwardly from the upper end of tubular member T; and an upright lifter component L including a vertical column C having upright axis A, said column C telescopically extending downwardly into the upright bore of tubular upright T, the lifter having pulley-means at the upper portion thereof.

The base member lower portion B of the upright housing T is adapted to rest firmly upon a horizontal substrate e.g. H, and in this vane might have the inverted channel iron configuration of FIG. 3 wherein the rearwardly-extending parallel lateral lower terminal 11 and 12 are substantially coplanar. Base member B has a transverse forward end 13, a transverse rearward end 14, a first upright lateral side 15 along first lower terminus 11, a second upright lateral side 16 along second lower terminus 12, and a substantially horizontal upper surface 17. Base B is provided with a rearwardly-extending rectangular notch 18 positioned medially along forward end 13 to accommodate tubular upright T.

Tubular upright member T is disposed within base member notched portion 18 in upright relationship with respect to base upper surface 17, said upright T being attached, as by welding, to base B. Tubular upright member T is herein shown of rectangular cross-sectional shape including an upright transverse forward side 23 that is substantially coplanar with base member forward side 13, an upright rearward side 24 disposed at the rearward extremity of notch 18 and disposed forwardly of base member rearward side 14 nearer to 13 than to 14, an upright first lateral side 25 facing base member first lateral side 15, and an upright second lateral side 26 facing base member second lateral side 16. A pair of opposed braces 19, attached as by welding between base member upper side 17 and a respective lateral side 25 and 26 of tubular upright T, might be employed to help maintain tubular member T in the upright position with respect to base member upper surface 17 and to a horizontal substrate e. g. H. Integrally attached to tubular upright T, as by welding, and herein to second lateral side 26 above base B, is an L-shaped rung 27 to facilitate operation of jack J. The upright bore 28 of tubular upright T is herein of uniform rectangular cross-sectional shape along the vertical height of upright T and surrounding axis A whereby said bore 28 provides one type means for restricting the rotatability of column C with respect to upright T about axis A. The lower end 22 of tubular upright T is disposed nearer to base B than to the upper end 21 of tubular upright T, and lower end 22 is advantageously positioned as low as possible, herein below base member upper surface 17.

Collar 50 of FIG. 5 provides an optional desirable feature for jack I particularly in maintaining the upward extended positions of lifter column C above tubular upright upper end 21; collar 50 also provides an optional means for restricting the rotatability of column C with respect to upright T about axis A. Collar 50 is of annular configuration and comprises a vertical tubular stem 51 and an outwardly-extending flange 52 attached to the upper portion of stem 51, said flange 52 having a first lateral side 55, a second lateral side 56, and an upper surface 57. The upright external surfaces and the upright internal surfaces of tubular stem 51 might be of annular polygonal cross-sectional shape, herein rectangular, to provide said optional means for restricting the rotatability of column C with respect to upright T about axis A.

As has been previously mentioned, each jack I is removably attached to each of the two neighboring jacks with a pair of criss-crossed elongate pole-like braces P and also removably attached to upright mast U with yet another brace P. Accordingly, the jack housing includes at least five brace-engagement-means. There is a pair of lower brace-engagement means 31 and 32 at common elevation above the base member lower extremity and disposed nearer to upright lower end 22 than to upper end 21. In addition, there is a pair of upper brace-engagement-means 33 and 34 at common elevation and disposed nearer to upright upper end 21 than to lower end 22. For reasons to be explained later in greater detail, the said four lateral brace-engagement means 31-34 should facilitate a vertically pivotal, and preferably a multi-directionally p-ivotal, removable engagement wtih braces P, and thus, the special sockets 31-34 shown integrally connected to the housing with cylindrical studs are preferred. The first lower brace-engagement-means 31 is adapted to removably and pivotably engage an, elongate brace P, extending outwardly and upwardly from the housing first lateral side 25; the second lower brace-engagement-means 32 is adapted to removably and pivotably engage another elongate brace P, extending outwardly and upwardly from the housing second lateral side 26; the first upper braceengagement-means 33 is adapted to removably and pivotably engage another elongate brace P, extending outwardly and downwardly from the first lateral side 25; and the second upper brace-engagement-means 34 is adapted to removably and pivotably engage yet another elongate brace P, extending outwardly and downwardly from the second lateral side 26. The fifth brace-engagement-means 35, attached to rearward side 25 above base B and preferably at common elevation with means 33 and 34, is adapted to removably engage an elongate brace, extending rearwardly from tubular housing T to upright mast U. Although the fifth brace-engagement-means 35 need not provide a pivotal connection with the elongate pole-like brace between jack J and mast U, a ball-type means 31-34 might be employed, together with several similar ball-type means spaced peripherally about the upper end of mast U, whereby identical elongate pole-like braces P might be employed at all five engagement positions of the jack sta tionary lower housing.

An elongate flexible power-driven cable F is removably attached to various of the consecutively attached cylinders e.g. 1-10, of the the building S, and accordingly, the cable F is operatively connected to a powered means including winch W. Specifically, the cable F is wrapped around a transversely positioned revolvable winch W, said winch being revolvably attached to base B rearwardly of tubular upright T. A reversible electric motor M, together with intervening transmission gear box G, supplies a power source to controllably rotate winch W together with cable F.

Having now described the jack stationary housing component (base B and tubular upright T) and the powerdriven cable F, the vertically movable upright lifter component L will now be described. Lifter L comprises an upright column C including a downwardly-insertable portion extending downwardly into bore 28 of tubular upright T commencing downwardly from the upper end 21. Upright column C surrounds and is vertically movably positioned along axis A. Moreover, the downwardly-insertable portion of upright column C has an upright outer surface of uniform cross-sectional shape between column lower end 42 and arm lower side 72, said cross-sectional shape being preferably polygonal, and herein rectangular, to provide a means for restricting rotatability of column C with respect to upright T about axis A. Upright column C is shown herein as tubular as to minimize the weight thereof and to provide the lowest possible stable center of gravity for jack J.

Lifter column C has a transverse upright forward side 43, a transverse upright rearward side 44, a first upright lateral side 45, and a second upright lateral side 46. C01- umn C has a pair of substantially horizontal perforations therethrough including an upper-perforation 47 extending transversely through lateral sides 45 and 46 and a. lowerperforation 48 also extending transversely through lateral sides 45 and 46. Lower perforation 48 is disposed immediately above column lower end 42, the vertical distance between upper perforation 47 and the upper extremity 72 of the column downwardly-insertable portion, as indicated in FIG. 3, these two vertical distances being substantially equal to the height of the several respective cylinders 1-10, which is normally thirty-two inches. During the operation of jack J, which will be explained later, a rod 49 might be remova'bly positioned within perforations 47 or 48 at housing upper end 21 to maintain column C at the desired degree of elevation.

Lifter L has a pair of brace-engagement-means 63 and 64 that facilitate a vertically pivotal, and preferably a multi-directionally pivotal, removable attachment with braces P, and for this reason, the elements 63 and 64 are preferably of the ball-type utilized for elements 31-34. Herein, brace-engagement-means 63 and 64 are attached to the first and second lateral sides 75 and 76, respectively of the arm 70 which extends downwardly and forwardly from the upper portion of column C. Thus, the first lifter brace-engagement-rneans 63 is adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace P, extending outwardly and downwardly from the first lateral side 75 of lifter L; and the second lifter brace-engagement-means 64 is adapted to similarly removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace P, extending outwardly and downwardly from the second lateral side 76 of lifter L. The upright forward extremity 73 of arm 70 is disposed some finite distance forwardly of housing forward extremity 23, and preferably with at least a twelve to eighteen inch unobstructed clearance between 23 and 73, whereby an operator might maneuver himself between housing forward side 23 and the upright walls of the building to be erected to manipulate adapter plate 100. In further consideration of operator maneuverability, arm forward end 73 is disposed nearer to housing upper end 21 than to housing lower end 22 when column C is fully inserted downwardly into housing upright bore 28. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the arm 70 of jack J has a forwardly and downwardly extending planar upper surface 71, a forwardly and downwardly extending planar lower surface 72 that is substantially parallel to upper surface 71, and a rearward end 74 that is attached as by welding to column forward side 43.

There are revolvable pulley means attached to the lifter component L for guiding flexible cable F from winch W to a forward position on jack 1, said pulley means having: a transverse axis substantially parallel to the transverse winch, and about which transverse axis the pulley means revolves; an upward circumferential periphery on the pulley means; a forward circumferential periphery disposed said finite distance forwardly of the housing forward side 23 to permit operator maneuverability; and a. rearward circumferential periphery disposed unobstructively above the winch axis whereby an imaginary line (the path of cable F) drawn between the winch elongate axis and the pulley means rearward circumferential periphery lies wholly external to intervening positions of jack J. Preferably, the aforesaid pulley means comprises two separate rotatable pulleys including a forward pulley and a rearward pulley 90.

Forward pulley 80 revolves about a transverse axle that is substantially parallel to the transverse axis of winch W, said axle 85 being attached to the arm 70 with a clevis-like forward extension from arm forward end 73. The forward circumferential extremity 83 of forward pulley 80 provides the forward circumferential extremity of the pulley-means, and has been alluded to earlier, the distance between 83 and 23 should be at least twelve to eighteen inches to permit operator maneuverability. Rear- Ward pulley revolves about a transverse axle that is substantially parallel to axle 85 and to the transverse axis of winch W, said axle 95 being attached to the upper extremity of lifter L with a clevis-like upward extension of column C. The rearward circumferential extremity 94 of rearward pulley 90- provides the rearward circumferential extremity of the pulley-means, and has been alluded to earlier, a cable F convolutely wound about Winch W and proceeding upwardly and forwardly therefrom to rearward pulley rearward extremity 94 lies wholly external to intervening portions of jack J. Similarly, cable F passing forwardly and downwardly from rearward pulley 90 to forward pulley 80, and along a lineco-tangential to pulleys 90 and 80, is disposed unobstructively above arm member upper side 71.

Desirably, there is at the forward extremity of the jack J, and herein at the forward extremity of lifter arm 70, a spacer means to prevent contact between the jack and the building wall cylinders e.g. 1-10, to prevent injury to the concave inner surface of the building wall cylinders. For example, such spacer means might take the form of a soft rubber wheel 89, larger in diameter than forward pulley 80, said rubber wheel being rotatable around transverse axle 85 of arm 70.

Attached to the forward extremity of the flexible cable F is an adapter plate that provides a means for removable attachment between building cylinders 1-10 and cable F. One side of adapter 100, herein side 103, is of a transversely corrugate nature in the event that jack J is to be used with building cylinders having transversely corrugate nature in the event that jack I is to be used with building cylinders having transversely corrugate inner sides; the second side of adapter 100, herein side 104, is of a nearly-fiat transversely-convex shape in the event that jack J is to be used with building cylinders having noncorrugate inner sides. Adapter 100- has a plurality of vertically-spaced perforations therethrough, in horizontal registrability with the customary vertically-spaced perforations of cylinders 1-10, and adapter 100 is removably attached to cylinders 1-10 utilizing bolts and nuts 106 passing through said registering perforations including perforations 101.

The elongate pole-like braces P are of a telescoping longitudinally extendable nature, for reasons to be explained later, said telescoping braces being adapted to removably and pivotably (and preferably in universal multidirectional fashion) engage certain portions of jack I, eg, at 31-35 and at 63-64. Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, each telescoping elongate pole-like brace P comprises two elongate telescoping co-axial sections including an inner section 61 and an outer section 62, the selected longitudinal relationship between sections 61 and 62 being maintained with one or more set-screws 65 threadedly engaged with outer section 62 and the leading end of which is adapted to bear against inner section 61. Each end of brace P, and specifically the outward end 61A and 62A of sections 61 and 62, respectively, is herein provided with an outwardly-extending cylindrical shank 66 having a flanged terminus, and a tubular collar 67 is slidably positioned along shank 66, resiliently urged outwardly by coil spring 69. Shank 66 has a bore 66A extending partially transversely therethrongh that accommodates the special ball terminus of one of the braceengagement means, herein 31. The transverse slot 68 of collar 67 is larger than the narrower necked portion, but smaller than the spherical terminus, of the brace-engagement means, whereby a multi-directional pivotal engagement is provided between each end of brace P and the jack 1 at positions 31-35 and at 63-64.

Operation of the jack J of the present invention will now be explained, it being assumed that there is present the concrete slab S having horizontal upper surface H with lowermost cylinder embedded into the concrete slab S and extending about four inches above upper surface H. A plurality of jacks J, herein six in number, are spaced along upper surface H at regular intervals along the circular periphery of lowermost cylinder 10, the arm 70 of each jack extending radially outwardly from central mast U and with the forward extremity 89 of each jack being vertically aligned with the inner surface of lowermost cylinder 10. The jacks I are in the fully lowered position with lifter column C fully extended downwardly into housing bore 28. Cylindrical sections 1 and 2 (each thirty-two inches high) are then placed in vertical alignment with embedded section 10 and roof R is placed upon section 1 whereby the upper extremity of section 1 is slightly higher than jack upper extremity 91, and elements 1, 2, and R completely enclose the several jacks J. Roof R is then attached to uppermost cylinder 1.

Eighteen elongate braces P are employed as follows. Six braces P are used between a rearward brace-engagement-means 35 on each jack to center mast U. For each jack: one brace connects its own 31 and proceeds upwardly and outwardly to a 34 on a first side neighboring jack; another brace connects its own 32 and proceeds upwardly and outwardly to a 33 on a second side neighboring jack; a third brace connects its own 33 and proceeds downwardly and outwardly to a 32 on a first side neighboring jack; and a fourth brace connects its own 34 and proceeds downwardly and outwardly to a 31 on a second side neighboring jack. Then, adapter 100 of the several jacks J is removably attached to the lower extremity of cylinder 2. Next, an electrical switch is turned on to start motor M and turn Winch W of each jack until cable F moves adapter 100 and cylinders 2 and 1 and roof R about thirty-two inches whereupon cylinder 3 is placed in the spatial gap between cylinder 2 and cylinder 10'. Then, four vertical stiifeners, each about ninety-six inches in height, and spaced at 90 angles about the aligned cylinders 1-3 are used to attach the three cylinders 1-3 together.

Adapter plates 100 are then temporarily detached from cylinder 2. Then, lifter L is manually pushed slidably upwardly about thirty-two inches until upper-perforation 47 is in horizontal alignment with housing upper end e.g. 21, 57, and rod 49 is placed through perforation 47 to maintain this semi-elevated position of lifter L. Then adapter plates 100 are then temporarily attached to cylinder 3 and there is a lift made of another thirty-two inches whereupon cylinder 4 is placed between cylinders 3 and 10. Next, lifter L is moved upwardly another thirtytwo inches until lower perforation 48 is in horizontal alignment with the housing upper end and rod 49 is placed through perforation 48 to maintain this fullyelevated position of lifter L. Now, pole-like braces P are detached from positions 33 and 34, then made telescopically lengthier, and then re-attached at positions '63 and 64 whereby the jack system is stabilized at the higher center of gravity, said re-attachments being accompanied by pivotal movement at the undetached positions 31 and 32. Adapters are attached to cylinder 4 and in view of the sufficient head room between jack upper extremity 91 and roof R a sixty-four inch lift is made whereupon cylinders 5 and 6 are put into position and a plurality of vertical stiifeners V are used to attach cylinders 4-6 together. In view of the more than eight foot distance between pulley forward extremity 83 and floor H, adapters 100 removably attached to cylinder 6 will provide a ninety-six inch lift via cables F and cylinders 7-9 might be placed in position after each single lift, and groups of three vertically-aligned cylinders thereafter.

Although a particular structure has been described and shown, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown but that reasonable equivalents and variations therefrom are within its scope and that, therefore, the invention is only limited as found in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An upright jack for erecting thin-shelled storage buildings and comprising an upright housing having a vertical axis and an upright lifter having an upright column movably positioned along the housing vertical axis and telescopically associated with the upright housing, said upright housing having a forward side, a rearward side, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and comprising:

(A) a base member having a lower side adapted to rest firmly upon a horizontal substrate, said base member having a forward side, a rearward side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side;

(B) an elongate tubular upright member attached to the base member and having an upright vertical axis and an upright height defined by the upper and lower ends of the tubular upright member, said tubular upright member having an upright bore of uniform cross-sectional shape commencing at the tubular member upper end and extending downwardly from said upper end, the bottom extremity of the upright bore being located nearer to the upright member lower end than to the upright upper end, said tubular upright member having an upright forward side, an upright rearward side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side;

(C) a pair of lower brace-engagement-means attached to the upright housing nearer to the base member lower side than to the upper end of the tubular upright member, the first of said lower brace-engagement-means being adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending outwardly and upwardly from the first lateral side of the upright housing, and the second of said lower brace-engagement-means being adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending outwardly and upwardly from the second lateral side of the upright housing;

(D) at least three upper brace-engagement-means attached to the tubular upright member nearer to the upper end than to the lower end thereof, the first of said upper braceengagement-means being adapted to removably and pivota'bly engage an elongate polelike brace extending outwardly and downwardly from the first lateral side of the tubular upright member, the second of said upper brace-engagement-means being adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending outwardly and downwardly from the second lateral side of the tubu lar upright member, and the third of said upper braceengagement-means being adapted to removably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending rearwardly of the tubular upright rearward side;

(E) a revolvable elongate winch adapted to engage an elongate flexible cable, said revolvable winch being attached to the upright housing; and

(F) power means attached to the upright housing and operatively associated with the winch for revolving said winch in both directions about its elongate axis;

said upright lifter component of the upright jack having a forward side, a rearward side, a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and comprising: 1

(i) an elongate upright column having a downwardly insertable portion adapted to extend downwardly-into and vertically movable along the upright borerof the housing tubular upright member, said upright column having an upright outer surface of uniform crosssectional shape and surrounding the vertical upright axis of the tubular upright member, said upright column having an upright height defined by the upper and lower ends thereof, said upright column having a forward side, a rearward side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side, the said elongate upright column having a pair of substantially horizontal perforations extending therethrough including an upper perforation and a lower-perforation separated by a given vertical distance, the lower end of the upright column being disposed below the housing tubular upright upper end and within the upright bore thereof when the lower perforation is at common vertical elevation with the housing tubular upright upper end, and means for restricting the rotatability of the upright column about its vertical axis whereby the column forward side is maintained adjacent to the tubular upright forward side and the column first lateral side is adjacent to the first lateral side of the tubular upright member;

(ii) said lifter having a pair of brace-engagementmeans, the first of said lifter brace-engagement-means being adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending outwardly and downwardly of the lifter component first lateral side, and the second of said lifter brace-engagement-means being adapted to removably and pivotably engage an elongate pole-like brace extending outwardly and downwardly from the lifter component second lateral side;

(iii) revolvable pulley-means attached to the lifter component and having a transverse axis, an upward circumferential extremity, a forward circumferential extremity disposed a finite distance forwardly of the tubular upright member upright forward side, and a rearward circumferential extremity disposed unobstructively above the elongate axis of the winch whereby an imaginary line drawn between the winch elongate axis and the rearward circumferential extremity of the pulley-means lies wholly external to intervening portions of the upright jack.

2. The upright jack of claim 1 wherein the means for restricting the rotatability of the lifter upright column about its vertical axis is a non-circular cross-sectional shape for the column upright outer surface together with a non-circular cross-sectional shape for the upright bore of the housing tubular upright member; wherein the lower brace-engagement-means of the upright housing are each adapted to provide a universal type joint with an elongate pole-like brace; wherein the first and second upper braceengagement-means of the upright housing are each adapted to provide a universal type joint with an elongate polelike brace; wherein the elongate winch is revolvably attached to the base member with the elongate axis thereof being transversely disposed rear-wardly of the tubular upright member rearward side; wherein the distance between the upper end of the lifter column downwardly insertable portion and the column upper-perforation is substantially equal to the given vertical distance between the upperperforation and the lower-perforation thereof; wherein there is an arm member attached to the lifter column above the upper-perforation thereof, the said arm member extending forwardly of the lifter column whereby the forward extremity thereof is disposed a finite distance forwardly of the tubular upright member upright forward side, an arm member upper side, and first and second lateral sides for said arm member; wherein the lifter brace-engagement-means are attached to the first and sec ond lateral sides of the arm member and are each adapted to provide a universal type joint with an elongate polelike brace; and wherein the revolvable pulley-means comprises a revolvable forward pulley attached to the arm member together with a revolvable rearward pulley, said forward pulley providing the forward circumferential extremity of the pulley-means, said rearward pulley providing the rearward, circumferential extremity of the pulleymeans, the imaginary co-tangential connection between the forward and rearward pulleys being disposed unobstructively above the arm member upper side.

3. The upright jack of claim 2 wherein the means for restricting the rotatability of the lifter upright column about its vertical axis is a rectangular cross-sectional shape for the column upright outer surface together with a rectangular cross-sectional shape for the upright bore of the housing tubular upright member; wherein the lower braceengagement-means of the upright housing, the first and second upper brace-engagement-means of the upright housing, and the brace-engagement-means of the lifter component arm each comprise a substantially spherical element; wherein the housing tubular upright member comprises an outwardly-extending rung; wherein the forward extremity of the lifter arm member is disposed nearer to the tubular upright upper end than to the lower end thereof; wherein there is a transverse axle for the forward pulley; wherein there is a spacer-wheel revolvably mounted on the transverse axle of the forward pulley, said spacer-wheel having a larger diameter than that of the forward pulley; wherein there is an elongate flexible cable removably spirally attached about said winch, said cable proceeding upwardly and forwardly from the winch to the rearward pulley, thence downwardly and forwardly from the rearward pulley to the forward pulley, and finally extending downwardly from the forward pulley; and wherein there is an adapter plate attached to the cable below the forward pulley, one side of said adapter plate being of a transverse corrugate shape and the other side of said adapter plate being of a nearly-flat transversely-convex shape, said adapter plate having a plurality of aligned horizontal perforations therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner D. R. MELTON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29-429; 254-89 

